# Should elementary schools require bike helmets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016 "2021-10-06T17:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/81 "2021-10-18T11:35:00Z")
> **off-topic post** > > > [@The\_Librarian](#): > > > > Involving law enforcement to enforce your desire for kids to wear helmets is not racist? > > If the policy is enforced uniformly for ALL students regardless of race or gender then, no, it is not. > > However, I do agree that there are more positive ways of encouraging this particular kind of safe behavior. One way is to have a school fundraiser for the families that find expenditures of that sort to be a real hardship, and economic viability is often in conjunction with race. For example, we have a “reduced lunch” and “free lunch” program for people who are economically challenged. Student safety, like proper nourishment, should not be dependent upon a student’s economic status. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/82 "2021-10-18T12:25:13Z")
> **Off-Topic post** > > > [@Jasmine](#): > > > > If the policy is enforced uniformly for ALL students regardless of race or gender then, no, it is not. > > Uh-huh. In some of our experiences, every opportunity to stop someone at the slightest pretext ends up being abused by cops who: > > a) they really can spot suspects who might be carrying drugs etc, in ways that they can’t articulate (stupid ACLU) so having a pretext to stop and question people is a useful weapon > b) really believe that certain people do not belong in certain places and by making them uncomfortable enough they can be persuaded to move. > > The people who believe that any policy is going to be “enforced uniformly for ALL students regardless of race or gender” when presented with evidence that this is NOT happening very comfortably slide into option (a) above. > > Hell just the day before yesterday I was collecting food donations in town. This is a program where people leave out a specifically supplied brightly colored bag (the significance of which will be apparent soon) on their front porch or stoop, for volunteers to pick up once a month. I have been one of the pick up drivers for three years and have been on the organizing committee for two years. > > Twice in my tenure, I have been accosted by people with dogs accusing me of being a porch bandit. One of the accusers I think I managed to convince that what I was doing was perfectly legitimate and even gave him the sign up materials. The second guy was not convinced by me having a car full of neon yellow bags already, and was taking a picture of my license plate and probably calling the police as I drove off. > > When I reported this to the organizing committee, they admitted that they had never heard of such an occurrence with any other driver. But of course they were convinced it wasn’t my brown skin that made me suspicious. It was either my car (a two year old Subaru Outback, probably the most popular brand of car in our town) or my attire (I was wearing over $300 worth of golf pants and jacket, undoubtedly stolen because my people don’t golf). Note that while we are having this discussion, I am standing there in these impeccable clothes and nice car. And these are probably among the most politically liberal folks in town. The more conservative folks seem to think the Food Pantry is a magnet for dependency and fraud. > > So forgive us if we never believe that any power we give the police to stop someone will ever be applied uniformly. Even if the police are just responding to complaints by observers, those complaints will not be unbiased. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/83 "2021-10-18T12:30:09Z")
Closed on October 18, 2021, 12:30pm UTC ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/84 "2021-10-18T12:32:08Z")
**Modnote** : The side argument that has descending into racism will now end. If any of you wish to continue the discussion, please start your own thread. Do not continue. I will hide the last two off-topic posts and add notes. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/85 "2021-10-18T12:59:56Z")
Opened on October 18, 2021, 12:59pm UTC This topic was automatically opened after 26 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/86 "2021-10-18T13:07:24Z")
My apologies, got carried away. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/87 "2021-10-18T21:46:33Z")
I believe there are precedents where if you “kind of” enforce something, you might assume responsibility for something going on after you have taken on that role. So I think teachers should perhaps educate but not enforce. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016/88 "2021-10-19T05:13:40Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > Deaths increased when helmets became mandatory. You can count them yourself: As I pointed out in post #31 when you brought up this statistically dubious argument before, > [@Kimstu](#): > > The statistic also doesn’t take into account any other relevant factors such as increasing population numbers, population density, traffic density and speed, popularity of cycle racing (as running\_coach noted), etc. > > Declaring that a correlation between increased cycle-racing deaths and the implementation of bike-helmet requirements implies a causal connection is an idiocy worthy of the [Spurious Correlations website](https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-elementary-schools-require-bike-helmets/952016.md?page=4)